Individuals undergoing various therapies or having various diseases and/or conditions are generally more susceptible to intestinal mucosa (gastrointestinal) injury or compromised gastrointestinal tracts than are healthy individuals. The expression of mucin-associated proteins, or secretory proteins, is an integral part of an individual's natural ability to prevent and/or repair intestinal injuries. Specifically, the expression of these mucin-associated proteins aids in the healing of intestinal mucosa injuries and in the prevention of further injuries by protecting the mucosa from insults, stabilizing the mucus layer, reducing inflammation of the mucus layer, and promoting the healing of the epithelial tissue.
Not all individuals, however, have an adequate expression of mucin-associated proteins to affect prevention and needed intestinal repair, which may result in an increased risk of translocation, sepsis, and possibly death. Further, there are currently no commercially available nutritional compositions that contain mucin-associated proteins, such as trefoil factor 3 (TFF3), or known methods of increasing the expression of mucin-associated proteins through the administration of an additional component to aid individuals having inadequate natural intestinal repair functions.
As such, it would be desirable to provide nutritional compositions that can produce nutritional benefits such as aiding in the prevention and healing of intestinal mucosal injuries by enhancing the expression of mucin-associated proteins. It would additionally be beneficial if the nutritional compositions could also improve the barrier function, enhance healing of epithelial cells, and reduce the inflammation of the injured gastrointestinal tract.